As part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Seminar Series, Steven Gortmaker, a professor for the Harvard School of Public Health and member of the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research Envision project, is presenting findings from a series of papers examining the cost-effectiveness of four childhood obesity interventions.
The discussion will focus on The Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) Project. This project is a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health, Columbia University, and research partners at Deakin and Queensland University in Australia. Over several years the CHOICES Research Team is assessing the cost-effectiveness of approximately 40 interventions aimed at reducing childhood obesity, including policy changes, programs, and interventions that have been identified as being effective, promising, or prevalent.
Gortmaker will present the results of the first four pilot interventions evaluated. These include the relative cost-effectiveness of: 1) a sugar-sweetened beverage excise tax; 2) a policy eliminating the tax subsidy of food and beverage television advertising directed at children and adolescents; 3) a state policy requiring minimum levels of moderate and vigorous activity during elementary school physical education classes; and 4) child care center policy changes.
The presentation will cover the methods and models used during the studies, including engagement of policy makers and stakeholders, the specification of logic models of the interventions, costing the interventions, and the calculation of both short- and longer-term cost effectiveness.
Several implementation considerations are reviewed and will be shared, including impact on equity of sensitive populations, feasibility of implementation, sustainability of impact, and overall population reach.
The presentation will take place on Tues., Nov. 12 from 10am-11am EST at the CDC Chamblee Campus, Building 107, Rooms 1B and 1C. A conference line is also available for those who cannot attend the meeting in person (1-888-381-8170; Passcode: 6150317). For more information, please contact Deena Zytnick at 770-488-5105, or uzy1@cdc.gov.